1. Isn’t it a shame that CBS Daytime (The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful) is going retro just for ratings? Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and NeIl (Kristoff St. John) running over pregnant Christine (Lauralee Bell) on Y&R? She sadly had a miscarriage. Running over a soap character is so ancient and revolting!

2. Victor (Eric Braeden) revealed as a Catholic in oh so dated confession scenes! Religion again on daytime soaps! What about the Jews? Remember Jewish character Nora Hannon Buchanan on One Life to Live, played by the mighty Emmy winner Hillary B. Smith? Miss her!

3. Wasn’t the highlight of the whole week when Ryan’s Hope character Delia Reid Ryan (Ilene Kristen) now revived on General Hospital sang “Danny Boy” service to baby Avery at Ava’s (Maura West) memorial? This is just before Ava revealed herself to her mother as still being alive. “Danny Boy” is of course what Maeve Ryan (the great Helen Gallagher) used to sing to beleaguered characters. It was the trademark of the show. And here’s a hug for Claire Labine who, along with the late Paul Avila Mayer, was the co-creators/headwriter of RH. Irish forever! Did you know the Ryans were modeled on Claire’s real family? She still is and always will be a daytime legend.

4. Isn’t it incredible (and truly careless head writing by Ron Carlivati) to have so many General Hospital characters pardoned all within a few weeks of one another? Murderers Sonny (Maurice Benard), Jake (Billy Miller), Julian (William de Vry) who didn’t really do it, and Anna (Finola Hughes), who was pardoned off-screen. Ava is next! Yes, and even police chief Sloane (Grayson McCouch, ex As the World Turns and Another World), who really did do it and is corrupt as hell. How much more of him can we take? Anna in the FBI, gee!

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood

5. On The Bold and the Beautiful isn’t perpetually bikini-clad Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) who is staying at ex-husband Liam’s (Scott Clifton) beach house, so very sexy? You just know Steffy will lure her ex-husband Liam away from his present love Ivy (Ashleigh Brewer). Go Ivy! As I’ve written, I love Liam’s independent, truth-telling, intelligent girlfriend . She’s Marlena’s current gal. This blog is Soaps For the Thinking Fan, after all!

6. Isn’t it unbelievable that Luke (Tony Geary) bit off half of Scotty’s (Kin Shriner) ear on GH, just like Sir Anthony Hopkins’ legendary Hannibal Lechter character did in Silence of the Lambs? Or Mike Tyson? The doctors were able to repair it thankfully. For this genuine shocker, bravo Carlivati!